YEREVAN — The Armenian National Assembly’s Council has rejected a proposal submitted by the opposition to convene an extraordinary session to press for the resignation of the government, Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan said today.
“Give me one reason why we should not do it. Once a year the opposition changes people (who lead the protests); they come and repeat the same thing? Let them come and ask the government question during Q&A sessions,’ Simonyan said.
He noted that the opposition’s program has not changed for several years, only the faces have changed. He called what is happening an attempt of revenge of the former authorities.
“The council has not accepted that proposal. The governing Civil Contract Faction in the council voted against it in full composition,” Hayk Konjoryan, the leader of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction stated.
Konjoryan emphasized that the message for the agenda of the extraordinary session proposed by the opposition contains two passages, involving political issues related to security concerns, as well as delimitation and demarcation processes.
“I suggested that our colleagues come and discuss all these issues during the sessions starting tomorrow and direct all their concerns to the elected Prime Minister of Armenia and in a question-and-answer session with the government. As for the other issue in the address, as we have informed until now, we do not have such an agenda; therefore, we are not going to discuss it,” he said.
Konjoryan noted that, according to the National Assembly regulation law, when the necessary number of MPs petition for a special session, such a session is convened by force of law on the day following five working days.
“That extraordinary session may or may not take place. We do not have such an agenda, with the resulting consequences,” said the leader of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction, noting that it is not debatable for them.
The opposition factions “Armenia” and “I Have Honor” had submitted a petition to the NA Council, demanding to convene an extraordinary session as soon as possible, on any day between June 11 and June 17, to demand the resignation of the government and the formation of a new government. The agenda of the extraordinary session would include a message about the resignation of the government, presented by the opposition deputies.
